Halls of Fire
by CosmicStorm14
Summary: College/University AU. Sakura hasn't stopped thinking about that mysterious guy she met at the Open Day. Hinata is trying to be brave now that she's free from living in her cousin's shadow. Shikamaru is trying to forget about studying, and his favourite distraction is an interesting politics student from across campus. ShikaTema, NaruHina, SasuSaku. Just for fun.
1. Chapter 1

**Rated T for mild language, and some sexual themes/innuendo. **

* * *

_Please mind the gap between the train and the platform edge. Do not leave any baggage unattended. Thank you for travelling with KonohaRail Trains._

The woman's voice over the tannoy system was a stunted recording that Temari had already heard a thousand times before. The downside of attending a university so far from home was how long it took to get there. She had already spent four hours on the tracks and her body ached, her mind stagnating. Surely, it couldn't be much longer now?

_Travellers__ are reminded that smoking is prohibited in all carriages_.

Some travellers got off at this station, only to have their seats filled by others. She must be getting close – some of the new passengers were clothed in Konoha University branded sweatshirts. One of them loaded his luggage onto the racks and sat across the aisle from her, a few seats down. He was facing her direction but picked out a book as soon after he sat down and his face was obscured by the shoulder of another passenger. But something about him had sparked her interest. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

When the train set to moving again, speeding them through the land, she let her curiosity get the best of her. She walked down the centre aisle towards him, keeping a hand on the tops of the seats as she went to keep her balance against the rhythmic chugging vibrations of the train. She sat down in the seat in front of him, and leaned over the back to it to speak to him. Only when she spoke did he look up from his book.

"Do I know you from somewhere?"

He looked her over, considering her. He wore a green Konoha University sweatshirt, his black hair tied up in a short pony tail. His eyes were dark, giving nothing away of his thoughts. He wore a stud earring in one ear and sighed through his words as though he was already bored of her.

"I don't think so."

There was something about him that was so familiar. "Were you at the Open Day or something?"

She wasn't wearing anything that would mark her out as a student herself, but he cast her a glance of interest as soon he realised that they would be freshers together. "No, I never exactly got around to going."

"But you _are_ a student. First year, right?"

He put a mark in his book and closed it so he could give her his full attention. He hadn't been able to focus on it anyway, his mind wandering and forcing him to read the same paragraphs over and over with nothing sinking in. "You too, huh?"

She nodded. "What course are you doing? Wait! Let me guess…" She tried to make sense of him. Those day-dreamy eyes, the way he seemed to carefully consider every word he spoke, a copy of A Brief History of Time in his lap… "You're a philosophy student."

"I wish," spending three years dreaming on the human condition sounded much easier than the scientific study he had actually sentenced himself to. "It's pharmacology, actually. I might end up in research or something. It's sort of a family thing."

"That's… actually quite impressive. I'm doing International Politics."

"That sounds like a drag. You aiming to be a diplomatic ambassador or something?"

"Maybe! I wouldn't mind seeing a little more of the world." Staying in the same place for any length of time had never been easy for Temari. She had restless feet and chronic wanderlust. Maybe that was one of the reasons she had applied to a University so far away from her home town. "Why did you apply to Konoha, anyway? If you didn't even go to the Open Day."

"My brother went to uni in Konoha. He always said it was a nice place to study."

"Has he graduated now?"

"He… he never finished his course." His brother Asuma had been just three months away from sitting his final exams when it happened. It still hurt. "He died last year."

"Damn. I'm sorry. How did it happen?"

He told her about his brother being home for a long weekend when he had witnessed some girl on the street being mugged and rushed to help her. But the mugger pulled a knife on him, and Asuma had died of his wounds in hospital two days later. He didn't tell her that Asuma had been on his way to pick his little brother up from his friend's house at the time. A part of him blamed himself for his brother's death.

"Wow. I'm sorry. I know it's not the same, but I lost both my parents when I was young so I can sort of empathise with what you're going through. Still got my little brothers though. The youngest one… well, he's going through some mental health issues at the moment. But the other one is starting a course at Suna University this year."

Their conversation had turned morbid quickly and he was glad of her changing the subject. "Your little brother is starting university at the same time as you are? How does that work?"

"I took a gap year," she shrugged. "Two, actually. So where are you living?"

"Leaf-block. Flat… uhm..." He took a number of folded papers from his pocket and flicked through to find one entitled _Student Residence_. "10."

"I'm in Sand-block, across campus."

"You know who you're living with yet?" Some flats could be specifically reserved, but most were randomly assigned. For most students, they wouldn't find out who they would spend the next year with until they moved in.

"That's a surprise."

"I know one. I knew him at school so we requested a flat-share." Choji had been a friend to him in school so when they found out that they had both been accepted into the same university, it was only logical to opt to share living quarters.

"So you've already got friends there, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess. Do you know anyone?"

"I'll make some friends soon enough." Perhaps she already had. "You never told me your name, by the way."

"I'm Shikamaru."

"Temari." She reached a hand out for him to shake. "It's good to meet you."

* * *

Hinata rode in the passenger side of her father's big car, her cousin on one of the back seats next to their luggage. Despite her offer for Neji to take the front seat, her father had insisted that as it was her first year at Konoha University and Neji's second, that it should be her who was offered the better view of their journey. Her cousin had said nothing, but she worried that it was the sort of thing he may silently resent her for.

It was a close-knit family. Their fathers owned the most successful opticians in their home town. But when the decision was made to open a new branch in another town, it was Neji's father who was sent away to manage it, leaving the boy with only his mother from a young age. Her father was the older of the two brothers, and took the best profits of the business, and Neji had never quite found his peace with this unfairness. She looked up to him, but he had never been kind to her. Truth be told, when he had left for his own first year of University last year, she had much enjoyed the quietness in the household that had taken his place.

There was still her younger sister Hanabi at home. As the elder, it was assumed that Hinata would grow to own the business after her father had retired, but there had been a change of plan as the children grew. Hanabi was full of ambition, and Hinata was not. As the elder sister disappointed her father again and again for her lack of competitive nature, he had grown to invest more and more of his time in the younger girl. Only when Hinata had turned sixteen years old was it announced that she would not be expected to inherit the business as that honour would fall to her younger sister. Instead, she would be welcomed as an employee.

And so Hinata set off to study optometry, just a year behind her cousin. Between Neji, her father, and her sister, there was not much left of her pride. But she clung to the idea that university was where people really began to grow, and was hopeful for a new start. This was a whole new town, full of strangers, and a new life she must learn how to live. The whole thing was wonderful, and terrifying.

"I'm so nervous," she said to Neji, not for the first time in the journey. He showed her no sympathy but he had been through this himself just a year before and the thought that she was not alone went some way to comfort her.

His response was the same as it had been before. "There's nothing to be scared of, Hinata." She knew he was right, but it didn't help. Neji was smarter, and braver, and more capable than she was in every way.

"You made friends on your first day right? Tell me about that."

The first students Neji had met in his first year were his flatmates – TenTen and Rock Lee. Though he didn't have much in common with Lee, who was in the library or at the gym morning and night, he and TenTen had got on relatively well and he would be living with her in his second year.

"You know all of my stories already, Hinata. You will make friends. Stop worrying."

They pulled into Konoha town and Hinata's eyes grew wide in amazement. It was busy with students and parents, and general townsfolk. In truth, it wasn't much different to her own home town, but the unfamiliarity of the place captivated her. They continued through the town centre, and up a long hill towards the University. The sea of green-clad students grew thicker as they approached, and boxes and suitcase littered ever roadside.

"Here," Neji interrupted her thoughts. Her father pulled the car over and Neji grabbed his only bag and opened the car door.

"I'll see you soon, Neji," Hinata called after him, but he was already gone. She watched him walk across to his accommodation as the car pulled away again. The carparks by her own block were busy, but her father found a space near the entrance. From here she could see trees behind the buildings in one direction, and down the hill in the other direction, over the rooftops of the University buildings, to Konoha town and finally to the sea.

"Here we are," her father announced. "Let me help you with your bags."

She wanted to help him carry her things, but her body was frozen with nerves. A part of her wanted to hide in the family car forever. She fumbled through her bag to find her accommodation certificate. Her name was in large gold letters in the centre – "Hyuga, Hinata" – with slightly smaller, silver lettering below it reading – "Leaf-Block. Flat 8."

There was no turning back now.

* * *

"Out of my way, Pig!"

"Move it, Forehead!"

The girls squabbled to get on their long-haul coach. The driver had already placed all of their belongings in the storage lockers below their seating, but they each had bags of supplies to get them through the journey which they used to push each other around. They would be on the bus for nearly three hours so they each wanted to get the best spot, or at least be as far away from each other as they could.

"It's bad enough that you got in to the same university as me, now you want to share a coach?"

"Hey, I didn't ask for this! You just better hope we're not sharing a flat!"

The blonde Ino wrestled her way to the back of the bus, leaving the pink-haired Sakura to find a seat further down.

As their journey was underway, Sakura couldn't help but be filled with a childlike excitement. A new town, new friends, this was a whole new start for her…. But one thing in particular was making her smile.

She had met a boy at the Open Day. Sasuke Uchiha, he had said his name was. Not at all like the idiot little boys at her own school, Sasuke was dark and mysterious, charming and _so_ handsome. She would never admit it to anybody, but he was the main reason that she had picked Konoha University. She didn't even know if he had chosen this university too, but she clung tightly to the hope that they would meet again.

She had spent all summer dreaming off him, thinking of all the ways she might meet him, of how they would first grow to love each other, of how they would spend their lives together. Every song reminded her of him. But to her despair, it had been so long that the memories of his face, of his hands, of his voice were starting to grow fuzzy in her mind. It was _fate_ that they had met. She just _had_ to find him again.

Her bag was filled of books and notepads and magazines to keep her occupied through the journey, but she was too excited to use them. She watched the world speed by, bringing her closer to her future, and closer - she hoped - to Sasuke.

At last, the bus pulled in to Konoha Town. All around them, other students were carrying suitcases around, some of them in green Konoha University sweatshirts, some of them with Konoha University bags. It was only a short taxi ride between the Konoha bus station and the University campus, so Ino and Sakura begrudgingly shared a taxi and split the fair. They were in the same block, but Sakura was relieved to find that they were in different flats. She was in Flat 7, Ino would be in Flat 10.

They wrestled through the doors into the front hall of their block and were faced with a broad stairwell, which would carry them up to the floor they needed. Flats 1-5 peeled off to the left, Flats 6-10 peeled off to the right. The whole place smelled fresh and buzzed with new students. At the second floor, Sakura let Ino continue her climb to the top floor alone and sat her bags down outside the door to her new home. Flat 7. She was finally here.

Each flat's door had the names of the inhabitants inscribed beneath the flat's number in removable little plaques that could be changed each year when the flat had new inhabitants. She read the names, holding her breath in excitement. These people would be her new family.

The plaques read:

Haruno, Sakura.

Uzumaki, Naruto.

And below these, to her shock and delight, was inscribed the name:

Uchiha, Sasuke.

* * *

_I've never written an AU fic before, but I couldn't sleep last night for thinking of all of these adorable scenes. So I figured I might as well type the first ones up and share. What's the worst that can happen? _

_This story is just for fun, and I'm well aware of how much of it is super-cheesy. It's just an experiment so far, so please favourite/follow/review if you'd like to read more of this. _

_Thanks_

_Cosmic x_


	2. Chapter 2

Sakura thumbed over the set of keys in her hand. The plastic keyring was labelled with her name and student number and the keys themselves were colour coded to help her remember. _Blue of your block, yellow for your flat, red for your room_, she recited. She took the yellow key, and opened the door to her new home.

She was met by a hallway, stretching forwards with shower-rooms and bedrooms to either side, leading to a large, bright room at the far end. The flat was quiet. Perhaps she was the first one there. She found the door with her name on it and put her suitcases down, before venturing through the rest of the flat. The bright room was the common-room. Half was a kitchen, the other half held sofas and a dining table. It spread the width of the building and windows covered all three walls giving her a panoramic view of the campus. She took out her red key, and returned to her door.

The room was modest, but clean. She had a bed and bedside table, a sink and mirror, a tall wardrobe, and a broad desk with a cushioned chair. Her window faced towards the University buildings, and down towards the town and, finally, to the sea. She opened the window and propped her door open against her chair so that the fresh air could flow through. She left her smaller bag on the bed and opened one of the larger ones. First clothes and books, they were easy. Then her stationary and a few bits of home to add some colour to her room. She was crouched over her piles on the floor and turned to open the other large bag when she saw him stood in her doorway.

"Sasuke!" She fell back onto her bottom in surprise and cursed herself for her clumsiness. All of the fading memories she had of him suddenly sprung back into high definition. He was even cuter than she had remembered.

"Sakura." He spoke through a half-smile as though her presence was as pleasant a surprise for him as his was for her. _Could he really have missed me as much as I missed him_?

She climbed to her feet and it was all she could do to stop herself from throwing her arms around him right then and there. This was the moment she had dreamed of all summer. Her love had returned to her, just like in the fairytales. She would tell their children about this moment. "I didn't know if I'd ever see you again."

"Well. It looks like we're stuck with each other for a year." He didn't laugh, but she _knew_ he was joking. He looked her up and down slowly. "It could be worse, I guess."

Something crashed against the door of the flat and Sakura saw that noise had grabbed Sasuke's attention. _What on earth was interrupting them now? This was a private moment!_ Muffled expletives could be heard through the door and Sakura dashed forwards to peer down the hall towards the noise, just in time to see the door burst open and a figure tumble through into the hallway, tripping over his bags. He swore again, but when his face emerged from under the cascade of luggage, he spied his new friends and grinned.

"Flatmates!" He called to them.

Sakura was enraged but tried her best not to let her anger show through in front of the Uchiha. _Why did this loser have to barge in and ruin my big reunion with Sasuke_?

"It just got worse, didn't it?" She sighed.

"Oh yeah."

* * *

Hinata's father had helped her carry to her bags to her room, but left her to unpack and settle in alone. _He would probably want to make the journey home as soon as possible to get home before dark_, she told herself. _It wasn't that he didn't care_.

She sat on her new bed, clutching her bag to her lap. There was mess in the flat already, so she knew that she wasn't the first one here, but she hadn't seen anyone else the whole time they were bringing her bags in. She was beginning to feel lonely until she heard noises from out in the hall. She stood from her bed to look into the hall and investigate, but saw no one.

_OK, Hinata._ She stood behind her sink to stare at herself in the mirror. _You're growing paranoid already. Calm down. Neji said everything would be alright._

But there was the noise again. This time she ventured down the hall and into the kitchen. There were some unwashed plates and rubbish on the counters, but there was nobody there. She gave a sigh and turned to head back to her room.

There was a figure in the hallway, from the direction she had just come. He wore dark glasses and dressed in a heavy jacket even though they were indoors. At first she was startled and gave an slight gasp, but soon realised who he must be. Just as Neji had TenTen and Rock Lee, she now had flatmates of her own. This might just be her first friend.

He was… strange.

"Hello," he said to her. His tone held little emotion but it was as good a place to start as any.

"Hello," Hinata replied, trying to sound as brave as possible. "I'm Hinata."

"I'm Shino. Would you like to meet my family?"

_His whole family are here? They certainly are a quiet bunch_. She followed him to his room but there was no one else there. She only realised what he had meant when he gestured towards the array of small tanks and vivariums on his desk. Most were lined with soil or sand and decorated with twigs and leaves, and some had beads of condensation forming against the glass. Some were giving off little shuffling noises as things moved around inside the tanks. Others seemed at first glance to have nothing inside them at all.

He introduced her to his pets: an Egyptian praying mantis, a family of giant African land snails, two giant millipedes, an Asian forest scorpion, three jars full of different strains of fruit fly, and a whole tank full of Madagascan hissing cockroaches.

"Do they really hiss?" Hinata didn't want to get too close to the creatures, but if Shino was going to be her friend then she would have to learn about his interests. And he was obviously _really_ interested in bugs.

"Only when they're frightened. They don't hiss through their mouthparts like reptiles or mammals - they push air out through holes along the sides of their bodies, like a living harmonica."

It sounded as though that may have been a joke but Shino looked deadly serious. He picked up his largest female "Tabitha" and brought it up close to his face to have a good look at her. Hinata thought he may have asked her to hold it too, but she was saved by the sound of a key turning in the front door to the flat. The roach was returned to its home and Shino and Hinata went to the hallway to see who was there.

What came through the door first was a dog. A great hulking hound with a grey shaggy coat, that would have been taller than either of them when stood on its hind legs. Behind the dog, came a person. Or… mostly. Hinata couldn't help but think he looked remarkably liked his dog, in a fur-lined jacket and with the same excitable expression and mischievous eyes.

He approached the two others clumsily, his limbs looking as though they didn't entirely belong to him.

"Finally!" He exclaimed. "I've been here… two days on my own! Already!"

Even his wording was messy and had he not been speaking through such a broad smile, she might have been intimidated.

"I'm Shino. This is… what was it? Hinata?"

Hinata nodded.

"This is Akimaru!" He drummed his hands against the dog's barrel in an affectionate play. "And I'm Kiba."

"That's nice. Are… are you alright, Kiba?"

He stumbled past the dog towards her. She took a step back away from him but he was faster than she was and he put both of his hands on the sides of her face and stared at her so closely that she could see how bloodshot his eyes were and smelled something sour on his breath.

"I have been drunk… for fifty-seven hours."

And with that, he let go of her face and meandered past her into his room. The dog bounded after him, and the door closed behind them.

Shino and Hinata both returned to their own room to finish unpacking and this time, Hinata locked her door. She wasn't _scared_ of her new friends exactly, but she was emotionally exhausted already and to be able to put a barrier between herself and her new life was comforting. She would come out and be sociable soon enough, she promised herself. But first, she needed a little time to herself. She was very far from home.

She sat on the edge of her bed, clutching her bag to lap again. So, she was living with a pair of total nutjobs. _This isn't so bad_, she told herself, as her tired eyes began to prickle with tears.

* * *

_Great. Flat 10 would be one the very top floor, wouldn't it. Just perfect._

Shikamaru dragged his bags up far too many steps before he finally found his flat. When he entered, he realised that he was the last of the residents to arrive. He knew Choji from school, but the other flatmate would be new to him. He dumped his heavy bags by the door to his new room and found them both in the kitchen.

"Here he is!" Choji looked overjoyed when his friend walked in. He and the other resident had already begun a makeshift dinner of hotdogs and crisps, and ate directly off the table because neither of them had thought to bring any crockery. "This is Shikamaru - the guy I told you about!"

They both stood up to greet him, and the other student came forward to shake his hand. She was a pretty thing, slim and blonde with bright blue eyes.

"Ino," she introduced herself. "Psychology."

"Shikamaru, pharmacology."

"Choji, hungry." Their friend interjected. "Let's get back to dinner!"

Shikamaru didn't think he had much of an appetite but ended up filling himself with hotdogs until he was quite stuffed. When they had all finished eating, Choji and Ino gave Shikamaru a quick tour of the flat, which they had already begun to be familiar with. All of the residences had a similar layout, and Shikamaru was pleased to see that the window from his room faced out towards the trees. When he looked down, he had a clear view of the path that lead to the main entrance of their building. Clouds above, woodland adjacent, people to watch below. Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad place to live after all.

He would unpack the rest of things at another time. Now, it was time to relax. He and Choji settled on the sofas to talk about their journeys, and Ino joined them later, after decorating her room a little. It was strange to have a third friend, as Shikamaru and Choji had spent so much time as a double-act in school. But he suspected that Ino would be more nervous about it than they were, having never met either of boys before. She already seemed to be getting along well with Choji, though.

The three of them settled down on their aging sofas after what had already been a tiring day for all of them. The sun would be setting soon and there was already the sound of drunken antics from the stairwell of their block and from outside.

They had been supplied with a "Freshers' Week Agenda" on their countertops, alongside a copy of that year's prospectus and leaflets on fire safety and student financing. Ino and Choji were flicking through their timetable, reading it out to Shikamaru who laid back on the couch, his hands behind his head.

Emergency Procedures Lecture. Personal Safety Lecture. Class Registration. Information Services Lecture. Freshers' Fayre. Student Guidance Meeting.

His education hadn't even begun yet and university was already looking like far too much work.

"Stop being such a grumpy old man, Shikamaru!" Choji protested at his friend's apathy. "These are supposed to be the best years of our lives! Aren't you excited at all?"

Truthfully, he wasn't sure what to be excited about. He still had his best friend like in school, he would still be attended classes like in school, he was the same person that he was in school. Sure, he didn't have his parents to moan at him anymore, but how much had really changed? Still, Choji and Ino did look happier than he was. A small part of him envied them. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to let himself enjoy this year.

"You're right as usual, Choji," he sighed, sitting up on the couch and flashing both of his flatmates a reserved smile. "Here's to the new Flat Ten: Ino-Shika-Cho."

* * *

_That's true about the Madagascan hissing cockroaches, by the way. They also give birth to live young instead of laying eggs, and they're pure white for a few hours after they shed their skins until their new skin has the chance to harden. Bugs are cool. _

_But anyway, pop in a review if you liked this chapter. Or if you didn't. Do you have a favourite flat yet?_

_Cosmic x_


	3. Chapter 3

It was the first full day of Sakura's university experience and she had hardly slept the night before for thinking of Sasuke Uchiha across the hall. In the morning, she went for her first shower, still in her nightgown with an armful of her shampoos and products. As she left her room, Sasuke was walking up the hallway, having already showered. He nodded _good morning_ to her as he passed and she tried to keep a straight face while inside she was fainting with delight. He was dressed in just a towel, the muscles of his broad shoulders glistening with moisture, his black hair wet and unruly. A cloud of steam followed him, smelling of his shower gel and she inhaled it deeply like a drug, letting her knees fall weak.

She recovered enough to take her own shower. Upon leaving, she decided to play Sasuke's trick against him, careful to fix her breasts up underneath her towel to show just enough cleavage in the hope that she would pass him in the hallway and let him see her body. But it wasn't Sasuke who she passed in the hallway.

"Wow! Looking good, Sakura!" Naruto was so annoying, and not only because he had interrupted her private time with Sasuke the day before. He was loud with a stupid laugh, and all evening he hadn't left her alone. He was so tiring.

"Shut it, pervert!" Covering herself better with her towel, she stormed to her room. From now on, she would dress in the bathroom.

The three ate breakfast together and decided to collect their Student ID cards first thing, so that they could get their class registration out of the way as soon as possible. They left Leaf-block and took a route through the other halls of residence down the hill to campus. The Student's Union sat opposite the library on the other side of the courtyard. The space held benches and plant beds, and the far ledge looked out down the hill to the sea. Some students were already collecting here, some of them looking lost and clearly in their first year like these three were. There was a huge map stood by the Union which Sakura recognised from their welcome pamphlets. It showed all of the different university departments and she took a moment to note the location of the Medical Sciences building.

Their class registration took place on the ground floor of the tall library building and there was already a long line of students waiting in front of the desks by the time they arrived. There was a sign set up by the entrance which said "_First Year Students – please collect your Student ID cards before registering for your classes_."

There had been so much to prepare in the run up to Fresher's week that Sakura had been sure that she had missed out a few of her obligations. As she read the sign, she realised what it was that she had forgotten. "Dammit! I never got around to sending off my forms for my ID card! Do you think they'll still let me register?"

"Sure they will!" Naruto tried to convince her. "They're not gonna send you home because of a stupid form!"

But it wasn't his counsel that she wanted.

"What do you think, Sasuke?" He just shrugged, but she was happy to hear the only words he had said that day.

"I didn't do it either."

When they arrived at the desk, Sakura was full of apologies. The lady behind the desk rolled her eyes at her and pointed her in the direction of the forms she would need to fill in, clearly unimpressed by her lack of preparation for such an important week.

Next it was Sasuke's turn.

"Sasuke Uchiha. Criminal Law." He told the woman behind the desk who had just scorned her. _But he knew that they didn't have his card? What game was he playing?_

"I'm very sorry sir, but your card doesn't seem to be here!" The woman apologised.

"Are you going to find it? Or do I have to file a complaint before the year has even started?"

The woman apologised again and pointed him in the same direction that she had sent Sakura. But to him, she handed a compensatory voucher for free meals in the Union Café. His gamble had paid off.

"But that was a lie," she told him when he approached her. "They didn't lose anything. You didn't fill in your forms."

He just shrugged again and let a little smile climb up one side of his mouth. He had such an intoxicating rebellious streak.

"Naruto Uzumaki," their other flatmate told the woman at the desk. She flicked through files until she came across his name.

"Environmental Earth Science?"

"That's me!"

"Here is your Student ID card. We also have a few more pieces of information for students in your… situation." She rummaged under the desk and passed him an extra pile of documents. "This is your green card. It will allow you access to the restricted areas of the library. You have also been assigned a scribe, a Mr… Jaraiya. Please take his contact card and familiarise yourself with this pamphlet."

She handed him a booklet entitled "_Equal Opportunities for Disadvantaged Students at Konoha University_." He smuggled it quickly into his jacket pocket before his new friends could see.

* * *

The hall was lined with rows of stalls advertising all of the University's clubs and societies. Older students had decorated their tables – and themselves – giving out free leaflets and pens and cakes and balloons in attempts to advertise musical theatre, rugby, gymnastics, archery, fine artistry, environmental conservation, mountaineering… more activities than Hinata had ever thought to explore. Each table pushed a sign-up sheet, getting as many new members signed up to their club as possible.

She had ventured down to the Freshers' Fayre with her new flatmates. She could not yet venture to call them "friends" but the two boys had been good to her so far and she clung to their company in the sea of strangers. Although he was not a warm character, she had spent most of her evening with Shino on the first night. That was largely because Kiba had been asleep for most of the evening and had only left the flat again when she and Shino were retiring to bed. He had been home that morning though, and she had grown immediately fond of him and the dog. He had been intimidating at first, but she wanted to believe that he was a good person beneath with arrogance.

Kiba was studying Animal Behaviour while Shino pursued the more specific course of Entomology. They were both classed under the animal biology department though, and went to find BioSoc while she went to find a martial arts stand, agreeing to meet up at the main door in twenty minutes time. She had made the boys agree on a specific hour so that there would be no risk of missing them.

She had already ventured to put her name down for the Medical Sciences Society in the hope of meeting someone else on her Optometry course, as well as the Tae Kwon Do Club which was an obvious choice for her seeing as she had practiced the martial art since she was young. She had an armful of free goodies that had been thrust upon her by the different stalls, most of which she had no intention of joining but she had been too polite to refuse.

In a particularly busy corner, she was pushed aside by a pair of Underwater Hockey players, and her new gifts tumbled from her arms. She knelt immediately to pick them up but with students all around her, some were kicked away and she panicked, scrambling after them. Looking up around her, she caught a glimpse of someone she knew. Neji caught her eye, seeing her on her knees on the floor. She wanted to call to him but he flashed her a look of disdain, shaking his head and carrying on his way as though the sight of her made him sick. Hinata's face flushed with embarrassment and she kept her gaze to the ground as she picked up her things to hide her shame.

"Hey, you need a hand?" He crouched down beside her, passing her a keyring that had been kicked under one of the tables. His words came through a smile and as she stuttered her thanks, his expression had already begun to melt away her embarrassment.

"Do you have everything?"

"I- I think so." He stood and offered her a hand to help her up, too. She almost worried about the knees of her jeans being covered in dirt from the ground, but looking up to her helper again made her almost forget. He had scruffy blonde hair and the loveliest smile she had ever seen.

"Hey, you're in Leaf-block, right?"

She couldn't get the words out, but nodded to him.

"I've seen you! You're in the flat above me! I'm Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki." He put a thumb to his chest to point at himself as he introduced himself to her. He smiled again, so broad and vibrant that some of his own confidence seemed to flow into her. She felt her cheeks glowing even redder than before, but found the strength to speak.

"Hi- Hinata."

"Good to meet you, Hinata!" He shook her hand in greeting again before carrying on his way. "See you around!" And as quickly as he had come to her, he was lost in the crowd again.

* * *

"I got free cookies from Literature Soc, free cupcakes from Re-enactment, free pretzels from Hockey Soc, and free gummy bears from Interpretive Dance." Choji had unloaded an armful of presents from Freshers' Fayre onto the floor his flatmates room. "They even have a culinary society! They get together to go to a different restaurant every week. Isn't that cool?"

"Sounds like just your thing, Choji." Shikamaru had opted to stay in his room rather than attend the fayre, but always had patience for Choji and was happy to hear of his stories. He lay back on his new bed, his hands behind his head. He would be spending a lot of time with his head against this pillow this year.

"There was a chess club, too," Choji spluttered with a mouthful of LitSoc cookies. "I brought you a leaflet in case you wanted to sign up."

"Chess club? You know I haven't been to a chess club since I was a kid." Although grateful for this friends thoughtfulness, Shikamaru's days as a chess club prodigy had not been his proudest moments and it was not something he wished to remain attached to him into his studentship.

"I know, but you were really good at it back then. They said they go to competitions around the country, competing against other universities. It might even get you out of lectures."

"That part is tempting, but I still don't think so."

His door was open, but their new housemate knocked against the wood to announce her presence regardless. Choji swallowed the last of his cookie and hastily brushed the crumbs from his clothes when he saw her.

"You guys know we have a meeting this afternoon, right?" She informed them. Shikamaru still hadn't decided what she thought of Ino. She seemed to like the sound of her own voice and had been quick to announce herself as the decision-maker of the flat, but maybe that would be a good thing. Shikamaru had so little motivation; maybe it would do him good to have a girl around to give him a good kick up the back side on occasion. Choji seemed very fond of her already.

He rolled his eyes at the thought of the meeting. They had already attended a Fire Safety meeting. This one was something to do with student guidance counselling. Certainly nothing worth leaving his room for. But the time came far too quickly, and the three new students made their way down the Leaf-Block common room on the ground floor.

Most of the other residents were already waiting there when they arrived, but there was no sign of any lecturer. Shikamaru glanced around the flock of people who shared his hall of residence and took a seat near the back of the room.

Ten minutes after the meeting was scheduled to begin, the students were speaking amongst themselves and some of them we growing restless, ready to leave.

When he finally entered the room, the students fell silent. He stood for a moment, his hands in his pockets, surveying his first years. He sauntered to the front of the room and leaned against a table there.

"Sorry I'm late." He addressed the students. "I'm Kakashi Hatake."

He was obviously a figure of some authority, a good deal older than the other students, with an air of confidence. But he didn't look like a lecturer.

"I will be your student guidance councillor, or what the chancellor likes to call your '_buddy_'." He began, seemingly as unimpressed by the whole situation as most of the students were. He spoke as though he was reading from a script that had been prepared for him rather than from his own mind.

"Your first year at university can be a daunting time and sometimes you might feel the need to seek advice and guidance. You might look for someone who knows what you're going through better than a member of staff, but also someone who is more responsible than your first year peers. Because of this, each block of first year students has been assigned a buddy.

"I'm contractually obliged to tell you that you can come to me with any of your problems, any time you need someone to talk to. I can tell you of my own free will that the only reason I am here is that agreeing to this role was rewarded by additional funding for my PHD studentship."

He answered a few questions from around the room with the same apathetic tone as the rest of his speech. It proved to be only a short meeting after all, and Kakashi seemed eager to end it and go about his own business once more. He stood up and headed for the door before he had even finished speaking.

"My contact information is displayed on a poster in the front hall, should any of you feel the need to disturb me from my work." He flashed the room a smile and a farewell before leaving "Have a nice day."

_Quick and easy_, he thought to himself. _Hopefully that would be the first and last he would see of the kids this year_. He left the block to head towards the library and bumped into a friend along the way. Guy had just come from his own guidance meeting, but knowing him it was probably more along the lines of a motivational speech. He came to meet his friend, with his usual air of self-confidence.

"Do you remember when we were that age, Kakashi? So full of the power of youth!" The two of them walked across campus to the library together. They had been first years together and had both stayed on in education to become PHD candidates.

"I remember. And if I remember correctly, I got better grades than you in first year, didn't I?" Kakashi teased his friend. Guy never did like to be reminded of that little fact, but Kakashi loved to see him squirm.

Guy protested loudly, gesticulating wildly as usual. "It was beginners luck!"

"Come to think of it, I got a First Class degree in my Bachelor's, and you got a Two-One. Isn't that right?"

"You got lucky! I've caught you up now, Kakashi."

He couldn't help but laugh. "That's _Doctor Hatake _to you." He taunted his friend.

"Not yet it isn't!"

"Race you to the library?" It was a game they had played since their first year. So far, Kakashi had won 114 races, and Guy had won 96.

They both broke into a sprint.

"You won't win again!"


	4. Chapter 4

Being a student was such a drag. But at least Shikamaru had his best friend Choji Akimichi to help him through it all. They both had the morning free of any lectures and went out together to tick a few things off their to-do lists after a late breakfast. Shikamaru had put off doing any form of grocery shopping for as long as possible – opting instead to beg and steal what he could from his flatmates, eating out, or ordering in. But as Fresher's Week drew to an end, there was no escaping the inevitable: he was just going to have to start looking after himself properly.

The student's store on campus sold the bare essentials, but if he was going to fill up his shelf of the fridge with anything that would last him more than a day, there was no choice but to head into Konoha town. The walk took them past the other halls of residence, through all of the University buildings and down the hill into the town centre. Late September in Konoha was a warm time and the skies were blue above them, the air filled with the chatter of optimistic new students. The town lay adjacent to the beach and seagulls cawed overhead. The tangy sea air that blew through the streets was occasionally accented by the smell of a distant student's beach-barbeque.

Shikamaru quite enjoyed the downhill portion of their trip, taking in all the new sights and spending time with his best friend, but as soon as they got around to their chore, his sliver of enthusiasm melted swiftly away.

"What do you mean I have to buy bin bags and toilet paper?" He complained to his friend. "Don't those come with the flat?"

"Grocery shopping isn't just about food, Shikamaru." This whole idea was new to Choji too, but he done his first shopping trip with Ino who had been much more prepared than either of the boys. "We have to keep everything stocked up ourselves now!"

"I can use washing up liquid as window cleaner and shampoo too, right?" There were far too many different kinds of cleaning products to trawl through so Shikamaru picked up the cheapest products he could and tried to get it over with quickly.

Choji had added a variety of unusual looking spices and condiments to his basket. He had already taken on the role of chef of the flat and seemed to enjoy cooking new things for his housemates almost as much as he enjoyed eating them himself. That was good; it meant that no matter how much Shikamaru forgot to buy, Choji wouldn't let him starve.

"There are twelve different kinds of peanut butter," Shikamaru made a frustrated gesture to the shelves in front of him. Life was so much easier when his parents did all of the shopping and all he had to do was pick his food from the cupboards. "How does anyone do this on a regular basis? This is the worst thing I have ever had to do in my life," he exaggerated.

Another group of young people passed them with a trolley full of nothing but pizzas and alcohol, and he couldn't help but think that their selection looked like much more fun than his own.

After what seemed like a lifetime, the two of them were finally satisfied with their purchases and went to pay for their groceries.

"This is going to cost _how_ much?" Shikamaru stared blankly into his wallet and thought of his ever-growing loans. Paying only for his own things was painful enough, how on earth had his parents fed their whole family all this time? He thought of how much money they must have spent on him over the years that he had never truly appreciated before. "I owe my mom so much money…"

When the shopping was done and they had made it all the way back up the hill to their halls, it was time for the second new experience of the day – laundry. The Leaf-Block laundry facilities were on the ground floor, opposite the common room, and were shared by all of the flats in the building. The room had a row of washing machines down one side, a row of dryers down the other, and machines for change and detergent at the far end.

"You have to separate your darks from your coloureds and from your whites," Choji explained, speaking slowly as he tried to remember the tips that Ino had given him. "And you have to wash your delicates separately from the rest."

"All of my clothes are dark and none of them are delicate." Shikamaru dumped his whole basket into the machine and put in his change to turn the machine on at whatever setting it was already programmed to. "Can we go home yet?"

"Yes, but look here," Choji pointed to one of the posters on the wall that explained how the machines worked and the rules of using the laundry room. "We've got to come back in 40 minutes to swap them over to the dyer."

Shikamaru put his hands in his pockets and gave an exasperated sigh through gritted teeth. This was such a drag.

"Wait…" Choji glanced down at his watch and gave Shikamaru a worried look. "Will that give us enough time to get to our afternoon lectures?"

"I'm sure you'll have plenty of time," he reassured his friend. "But as for me, there's no way I can do shopping, laundry _and_ go to lectures all on the same day." He folded up his empty laundry bag and headed for the door. "If you need me, I'll be taking a nap."

* * *

The first week of lectures was also the first week of a new semester of society meetings. All of the clubs and societies that had been on display at Fresher's Fayre were now ready to meet their new members and Hinata was headed down the hill into town that evening, to her very first MedSoc social. Kiba and Shino were both on their way to BioSoc and walked into town with her. BioSoc's first social had a theme of zoology dress up where all of their members were encouraged to come dressed as an animal for the evening. Shino had filled all of his pockets with artificial beetles and had even painted his face to look as though they were crawling from his skin. When he had first shown his ensemble to Hinata back at the flat, she had thought that he was taking his real pets with him, but was relieved to find that wasn't the case. Kiba's favourite animal was, of course, Akimaru. He dressed in fangs, ears and a tail to imitate his hound, even making an outfit for Akimaru to wear so that they were dressed as each other.

Kiba already knew his way around town and a good number of the students they passed that evening already seemed to know him as "the guy with the dog". The dog was quite a talking point and waited patiently while girls stopped them multiple times on the way into town to fuss over the animal. Kiba even got one of the girls' phone numbers, and they hadn't even reached a bar yet.

Shino was quite different. He and Hinata had ventured for a couple of evenings out at the Union bar on campus but between his strange exterior and tendency to wear sunglasses indoors, and her own shyness, these hadn't exactly been sociable occasions. She found herself enjoying Shino's company both when they went out and around the flat, and he had even helped her make cupcakes and was always available to join her for a pot of tea. But she still hadn't made any real friends besides her flatmates, so this evening was a big deal for her.

MedSoc had no dress code tonight, so she had dressed modestly and had taken up Kiba's offer of a small vodka-and-orange before they had left the flat to steady her nerves. In truth, she hadn't been sure if she wanted to drink at all and the alcohol in her veins now didn't seem to be relaxing her in the slightest. She must have been fidgeting nervously because the boys offered to walk her all the way to the pub where her social was taking place before heading to their own meeting.

"They don't look so bad," she told her friends when they entered. There was a group taking up three or four of the tables towards the back of the pub, a number of them wearing grey and purple "Konoha University MedSoc" hoodies. The boys hugged her goodbye, and she gathered her nerves to approach the group.

She was soon greeted quite warmly by some of the older students and was relieved to see that there were a number of first-year newbies, who had a glint of fear and excitement in their eyes. One of them was a girl with pink hair, who Hinata was sure she had seen around her building. She took a deep breath and went to make a new friend.

"Hello," she smiled to the pink-haired girl. "Don't you live in Leaf-Block?"

"Yes!" The girl took a long sip of her cocktail and bounced on her feet in excitement. "I'm Sakura! What's your name?"

"I'm Hinata," Hinata's stomach fluttered. This was a good start, but she was glad when Sakura carried on the conversation so that she didn't have to think of anything to say.

"Hey, don't you live with that guy with the dog?" _How did Kiba get so famous so soon?_

"Yes. His name is Kiba. And the dog is Akimaru."

"I didn't know they even allowed pets here."

"He had it registered as a guide animal, I think."

"That is so cool! I'm so jealous. My housemates are awful," she took another drink, and beckoned her new friend to join her on one of the tables reserved for their society. "Sasuke barely seems to know I exist and Naruto is just... argh!"

Hinata's heart flipped at the sound of his name. "You live with Naruto?"

"Yeah, unfortunately!" Sakura rolled her eyes dramatically. "Do you know him?"

"I- I met him at Fresher's Fayre."

"I'm so sorry you had to suffer through that." _Why did this girl have such a bad impression of him? He had been so kind to her._

"No, he seemed nice. I bet your whole flat is lovely. I'd love to visit some time."

Sakura's face changed again, from the disgust of talking about her flatmates back to excitement. "You should! We could have dinner some time!"

It was only the beginning of the evening and she had already been invited to be someone's friend! She couldn't help but smile broadly, her cheeks flushing red. "I'd love to! I'll bring a cake!"

Their conversation was interrupted by one of the older students standing on one of the chairs and clinking a pair of glasses together.

"MedSoc!" She addressed the group. She was an older girl, dark haired and wearing a MedSoc Committee hoodie. "Thank you all so much for coming, I just know we're going to have an amazing year! Tonight is just about getting to know each other, so let's start by going around the room and introducing ourselves! I'll start. My name is Shizune, I'm a Nursing Masters student, and I'm this year's President!"

They proceeded to go around the room with their introductions, starting with the rest of the committee who were obviously well-versed in this activity, screaming out their names, committee positions and – Hinata's gut leapt – their sexual position of choice. The evening had barely begun and Hinata was already out of her depth. They continued around the room, the older members pushing the younger students to be as vulgar as possible and Hinata's heart began to race as it came closer to her turn. A part of her wanted to leave, but she tried to be brave.

Then it was her turn. Every eye in the room was looking at her eagerly and she felt her face flush red.

"I'm H- Hinata…" She mumbled.

A voice from someone where in group shouted to her to speak up and she swallowed hard, trying to catch her nerves.

"I'm Hinata!" He called allowed. Maybe that vodka-and-orange had helped after all. "I'm a first-year optometry student! And actually…" her bravery fell from her again. "I don't… I don't have a favourite position, y-yet."

There was a moment of silence which seemed to last an eternity. But then the crown suddenly erupted with chants of "_Shots! Shots for the virgin_!" and she felt herself being patted on the back and encouraged and applauded from all sides. A small glass of golden coloured liquid was placed on the table in front of her while the group looked on excited, still cheering. Hinata looked up at the person who had placed the drink in front of her and it was their president, Shizune. She smiled warmly to the new girl and bent to whisper something in her ear.

"You don't have to take it if you don't want to," she said, in a tone far more sober-sounding than the one she had used to address the group earlier. "Don't worry, honey, we'll look after you." She stood then, and spoke loud enough for the rest of the group to hear. "Hinata – welcome to Konoha!"

The rest of the group chorused the sentiment. Hinata took a deep breath, and drank.

* * *

_In case anyone is wondering, this is from the perspective of the British Uni experience – so if anything doesn't fit in with the idea of higher education as you know it (for example, students being able to buy alcohol under the age of 21) then just consider it part of this alternative universe!_

_The sections seem to be getting longer and longer, so I'll try to keep then quick and bite-sized in future. And yes, Shikamaru has been pretty grumpy and miserable so far. But don't worry - he's going to have a very good reason to cheer up soon._

_Drop in a review and let me know what you think so far!_

_Cosmic x_


	5. Chapter 5

By the third week of university, Shikamaru had rearranged enough of his classes that he had no 9am lectures at all. He had optimistically hoped that would give him longer to get ready in the mornings so he wouldn't turn up late, but instead it only served to give him extra time asleep. His Wednesday though, was free until noon, and was the only day of the week that he had time for breakfast. Tuesday nights being the night that all of the sports societies chose to go drinking, Wednesday mornings were quiet around the halls, while anyone who had been out the previous evening tended to stay in their rooms in the dark, waiting for the sickness to pass.

So he was surprised this Wednesday morning, as he stood leaning against the wall by one of the windows in his flat's kitchen whilst having his morning cereal, to find that the place was not as deserted as he would have liked.

"Morning!" She said, with far more enthusiasm than was appropriate for this time of day. She went straight for the kettle upon entering the kitchen, filling it with water from the tap and flicking it on to boil. She picked cups from one of the cupboards and teabags from the tub on the counter as though she already knew where they were. She was sparsely dressed and he may have avoided looking at her had she not waltzed in so shamelessly. And he knew her from somewhere. He couldn't stop looking at her.

"You don't live here," he said, finally.

"Well observed." She flashed him a second of eye contact with raised eyebrows and a half-smile that suggested he wasn't being very observant at all. Green eyes… he knew her from the train. What had she said her name was?

He must have been giving her a bewildered look because she offered an answer to a question he hadn't asked.

"Don't panic, I'm just visiting one of your housemates."

Then her dress made sense. She wore a loose t-shirt, her unrestrained breasts pushing up against the fabric from underneath. Her bare legs laced with little red marks where the creases of bed sheets had rested against her skin. A tattoo of an intricately coloured scythe-wielding animal decorated the top of her right thigh, half obscured by a pair of black underwear. But he was still piecing her puzzle together.

"But Choji didn't go out last night."

She took a bottle of milk from the fridge and sniffed it. "Who's Choji?" She must have decided the milk was suitable, and finished making two cups of tea. If the other one wasn't for Choji…

"You hooked up with Ino," he concluded.

"Yeah," there was a glimmer of pride in her jovial tone. "Nice girl. Did you know she's practiced rhythmic gymnastics for the last eight years?"

He didn't.

"Hmm. Bendy."

His cereal was going soggy in his bowl as he had stopped eating to assess the situation. It was rare for his mind to stumble over a seemingly simply piece of information like this. But she didn't give him time to reply anyway. She took her two cups of tea and used her hip to swing the kitchen door open as she left.

"See you around," and she was gone.

* * *

Hinata had been mentally preparing herself for dinner at Flat 7 all afternoon. She had so far got on well with Sakura at their MedSoc socials, but the pressure of having to being invited to her home felt like taking their friendship to a further level. Kiba and Shino were wonderful, and she had made friends with other students on her course, but somehow she found Sakura much more intimidating. The more it ran through her head, the more nervous she became. _The friends you make in university are for life_, she remembered her father saying. So much could be riding on this evening. And not just Sakura, one of the main reasons Hinata had been so keen to take up this invitation was that Sakura lived with Naruto. Yes he had been so kind to her at fresher's fayre and always greeted her so warmly in the halls, but was that enough reason to gravitate towards him like she did? And did it make her a bad person to have an ulterior motive this evening? Was she using Sakura to get closer to Naruto? Her head swam with these thoughts as she got ready, despite telling herself out loud to calm down and just enjoy it.

Sakura had said to come over "somewhere around six o'clock" and she had been ready to leave and sat on the edge of her bed since 5.15pm. At 5.57pm, she left her room and headed for the door.

"Hey, where are you off to?" Kiba asked. He always made friends so easily. Why couldn't she be less uptight, like him?

"Sakura invited me up to Flat 7," she told him, cursing the smile that spread across her face for being so excited about such a simple event.

"Oh great! I'll bring a crate of cider!"

"Uh- um- actually, it was…" she began, but he was already rushing back to his room. She hesitated in the corridor while he emerged with the drinks and used his forehead to knock on Shino's door.

Shino didn't take too much persuading when he was promised free food and drinks. Hinata protested as best she could, but only Akimaru seemed to even notice she was speaking. She glanced at her watch: 6.02pm.

The four of them left their flat and climbed the stairs to the floor above. Hinata knocked bravely on the door, expecting Sakura to be angry at her for being late and bringing uninvited guests. But as her friend opened the door, she was greeted with Sakura's usual smiling face and a warm hug form their host.

"So good to meet you!" She said to the boys, still in a messy apron. "I always make too much food! But I'm afraid it won't be ready for a while yet, I wasn't expecting you until later!"

Why had Hinata been so worried? She always got so stressed over things that always turned out to be fine. Filled with a new confidence and having her excitement for the evening returned, she felt her heart flutter seeing Naruto waiting for them as they were lead into Flat 7's dining area. The flat was set out in the exactly the same way as her own, but was cleaner. She guessed that this was Sakura's influence, with the table set out in cherry-blossom plates that matched her flour-covered apron. Above each of the windows was a semi-deflated red balloon decorated with the words "I (heart) Konoha".

Naruto stood from the sofa as the guests entered and Kiba immediately threw a can of cider to him and opened one for himself. Something down the side of the sofa caught Shino's eye and he crouched down to reach a hand behind it, pulling out a spider. Hinata made the usual polite courtesies, complimenting Sakura and Naruto on their home and offering to help with preparing dinner. And with the ice broken, Hinata was able to relax almost completely, enjoying Sakura's company in a less stressful situation than at their social evenings, being able to watch Naruto from a distance, looking away to avoid eye contact every time he faced her, and feeling as though she might actually be making a good impression. Making a good friend.

By the time dinner was ready – Sakura had made her own pizza dough and invited everyone to add their own toppings – the boys were all slightly drunk and beginning to increase in volume. Naruto had brought some speakers through from his room and was putting on some music. They wrestled over what to play and when they all seemed satisfied, Hinata approached him to speak to him directly for the first time this evening. She had rehearsed in her head what to say but when he looked to her, her heart fluttered again and she almost forgot how to speak entirely.

"M-may I… add a song to the playlist?"

He seemed only too pleased to let her, and she scrolled through the choices to find "99 Red Balloons". She quietened the voice inside her that worried about her knew friends judging her for the music tastes. And so Kiba made sure everyone's glasses were full and Sakura laid out all of the pizzas on the large dining table, and Hinata found herself sat between Sakura and Naruto, wondering if these beautiful people would still be in her life always. They ate and drank and laughed and were half way through their meal when Hinata heard the first chords of her song come on. She smiled to herself, feeling that she would like to be the sort of person who felt they were able to sing along to such things in front of people. The others joked on oblivious to the song, or so she thought. Naruto slid his chair out from next to her and she watched him stand up on the sofa to reach one of the balloons down from above the window. Her heart pounded. The rest of the room melted into non-importance as he returned to her, smiling that boyish smile of his, and tied the balloon to the back of her chair. It sagged with age, the words on its face distorted. But she loved it. She loved Konoha. She loved all of these people. It was a perfect evening.

"Some of us-" the door crashed open, "- are trying to study!"

Sasuke stood in the doorway, his eyes like fire, everyone beneath him falling silent.

"Sorry, Sasuke," Sakura offered at last. "We'll keep it down."

"Yeah," Naruto added. "All you had to do was ask."

Hinata sat frozen in her seat, watching.

"That's not good enough. You can't just throw parties whenever you like without asking me."

"It's not even a party," Sakura's voice wavered as she made excuses. "And you could have joined us if you wanted to."

"If I didn't take my studies seriously, you mean. If I was just here to make a drunken fool of myself every night like the rest of you."

"Hey!" Naruto stood up so quickly that his chair tipped over behind him. Kiba, Shino, and Akimaru took the opportunity to slink out of the room - "Didn't we have that thing tonight?" "Oh yes, we're late for that thing!" "How could we have forgotten about the thing?" "Time to go."

"You can't speak to us like that!" Naruto continued. "You're not any better than the rest of us!"

"You're deluded," came Sasuke's retort, before he turned his attention to Hinata. "And you can get out of my house right now."

She was still frozen in her seat.

"Your house!?" Naruto was growing more angry. "Hinata is our friend, how dare you speak to her like that! If you had any friends, you could invite them round whenever you wanted!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes dramatically. Sakura could see the muscles of his jaw clench. He was so sexy when he was angry. It frightened her in ways she couldn't quite understand.

She tried to mediate the situation. "OK, it's over. I'll clean up here-"

"You'd better."

She held her tongue. "I'll clean up here and if ever we want to do this again, we'll check with you first. OK?"

The boys just stared at each other silently, neither wanting to give in first.

"Sasuke," she sighed. "Walk with me. Please."

He turned and left the room as she approached him, leaving Hinata and Naruto alone. She had meant for them both to get some fresh air and calm down, but he returned to his room. She took the fact that he had left his door open instead of slamming it behind him to be an invitation to join him. She sat quietly on his bed next to him, suppressing the desire to put her arms around him.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," she said again.

"I don't blame _you_."

"But you're right. We're here to learn, and that should come first."

There were notebooks and textbooks spread out beside the laptop on his desk. His room smelled of him and she drank it in.

"Not everyone has the same… motivation that I have. I need this."

She didn't understand. Why did he need a degree any more than the rest of them did? They all wanted decent job prospects at the end of their studentship, that's why they were here. Why did he think he was so different? She could tell he didn't take it lightly though. He really meant it. She glanced up at his face and the same fire burned behind his eyes. What would he do if she kissed him right now?

"Do you want me to leave?"

He paused a moment before putting his hand on her knee.

"I don't think I can give you what you need if you stay."

Her eyes began to prickle and she put her own hands over his and squeezed him tight, losing control of her breathing. "Sasuke, I don't understand you!"

"Then you should leave, Sakura." She had never liked her name, but it sounded so beautiful on his voice.

When she finally left his room and closed the door quietly behind her, Hinata and Naruto had already cleaned up the dining room and were sat together on the sofa, choosing music. Naruto looked up at her as he heard her in the hall but she went swiftly to her own room, turning her head away so that he wouldn't see her beginning to cry.

* * *

_Hello again_

_Sort of expecting some negative reviews for this chapter. But better a chapter full of violence, anxiety and lesbians than no chapter at all._

_Cosmic x_


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